


Where We Come Alive

by orphan_account



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: All The Tropes, BAMF JacobxQueenie, BAMF Newtina, Being Badasses, Domestic JacobxQueenie, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, LOTS of Shirtless Newt, Longing, Newt's oblivious, Or Is he?, Saving Creatures, Shirtless Newt, Slow Burn, Tina's already a little in love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, magical road trip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-28 06:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17177837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Newt's supposed to be visiting, but he's already making plans to leave to rescue a group of griffins that are being illegally trafficked somewhere in Europe.Desperate not to be separated from him again, Tina offers to help out.Somehow Jacob and Queenie get dragged along for the ride. Magical road trip ensues and so does the chaos.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whatthedruidscallme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthedruidscallme/gifts).



> _“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them but you know they are there.”_

 

When he comes back with the book, he asks them over dinner. 

Well, not quite. Tina opens her big mouth instead but it all works out in the end.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut my visit short.” Tina feels herself wilt with disappointment as Newt pulls his doe eyed gaze over to her. “I’m terribly sorry. I know I promised a long visit but I have some urgent business I need to attend too.”

“You sailed all this way rather than just sending me an owl?” Tina asks.

Newt shakes his head. “No actually I found out about this when I got here yesterday.” He plucks a newspaper clipping from his pocket and passes it to her. “I was reading the Daily Prophet on the ship and I saw this.”

“ _Rumored Magical Creature Trafficking Ring in Prague,”_ Tina reads out loud. She raises her brows at Newt. “You’re going there? Are aurors going to meet you?”

“Actually, no. Er – I’m going alone.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Jacob asks.

“Quite,” Newt admits. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ve gone into these things before.”

Tina lifts her brows, crossing her hands in front of her plate. “What are you going to do, exactly?”

“I’m going to go in and save the creatures. I understand that it’s going to be griffins they are bringing in to sell out to prospective buyers.”

“ _Griffins?”_ Tina feels a little sick. “Newt, that’s awfully dangerous.”

“And I am aware of that!” Newt spits angrily.

“Hey, easy,” Jacob pats his hand. “We know it’s not your first rodeo but this does sound pretty out of your league.”

“We could help.”

It takes Tina a second to realize the words came from her. Queenie’s eyebrows shoot up her head and Jacob drops his spoon onto his plate. The bite of strudel Newt had been about to take falls off of his fork with a _splat._

“I couldn’t ask you to d-do that –“

“And you’re not asking. We’re offering,” Jacob jumps in and Queenie shoots him the death glare. “I’m sure I could help out somehow and have you seen these two with their wands?” He chuckles as he points at the sisters.

Newt hides a smile behind his fork. “W-well, uh –“

Queenie’s still staring, like she’s trying to will Newt to say no, _no thanks very much, not needed_. Newt had been learning Occlumency on his travels and had become quite successful in locking her out, much to Queenie’s chagrin.

“I’m in,” Tina says slowly, and she glances at Jacob.

“Me too!” Jacob’s almost bouncing in his seat in excitement.

“All right then.”

“All right?” Queenie repeats, panic in her voice.

"We'd have to go to Greece after, that's where the griffins are protected," Newt tells them. 

Tina lets her wall down and regrets it a moment later. Queenie's mental screaming is going to give her a headache. 

_Are you out of your mind? Do you have a mind? Where did you get this idea? I do not have the proper shoes for a trip like that!_

Tina bites back a laugh. Jacob’s nodding now, looking more excited than ever.

_We’ll get you the proper hiking boots._

Queenie rolls her eyes, letting a puff of breath out of her pink lips. “All right, I’m in. I have to keep an eye on _her_ anyway.”

Newt stares around at the three of them, eyes finally settling on Tina. “All right,” he says again, and then goes back to eating his strudel.

-;

They leave two days later.

Queenie transfigures Jacob’s suitcase down small enough that he can carry it on a string around his neck, tucked underneath his coat. She does the same to her own things, a small beaded bag that she carries like a purse and Tina does an extending charm on her duffel bag. She’s amused when her sister comes home with plain black hiking boots and several pairs of slacks and button up sweaters for warmth. Her normally fashionable sister wouldn’t normally be caught dead in that type of clothing and Tina supposes it’s best that they are going out of the country.

She has four weeks leave from MACUSA that she had been saving up for the last couple of years. She had the occasional sick day here and there but her vacations and breaks were all stored away, all ripe for this occasion. Jacob hands over the reins of the bakery over to his help, with a promise to be back in one month.

And Newt’s ready to go. He’s always ready to go.

-;

They need to get to Prague pretty quickly and a boat is out of the question. “I know of a man who can provide us a Portkey,” Queenie suggests. “Have you ever traveled by Portkey, Tina?”

“Aren’t those illegal?” Tina asks.

“Isn’t what we’re doing illegal?” Jacob supplies. 

That shuts her up.

After getting the rest of their things gathered up and shrunken down for easy carry, they lock up the apartment and Disapparate together to a back street in Brooklyn. Queenie leads them down the street, towards a small shop that looks kind of seedy. Tina reaches behind her and finds Newt’s hand, and he doesn’t pull away.

Queenie pulls out her wand and taps on the door of the shop, which dissolves into a completely different door. “Wizard’s entrance,” she explains when she sees their faces.

They walk in together and Newt and Tina draw their wands but hold them pointed to the floor. There’s what looks like a man sitting behind the counter and he lifts his head when he sees them. “What’s your pleasure today?”

“One Portkey to Prague,” Queenie says, her voice all sunshine and bubblegum.

“That will cost ya,” the man replies.

Queenie goes to dig into her coat and Newt stops her. “This is my project. You shouldn’t have too.”

“He won’t want anything you have,” Queenie explains. Tina’s staring at her sister with wide eyes. “He wants _this.”_ She pulls from her jacket something that looks like a wand at first and when Newt peers closer, he sees it’s not quite that.

“A hempo key?” Newt asks, bewildered.

“Worth quite a bundle,” the man says. He takes it when Queenie passes it over and examines it closely. “You sure you wanna give this up, little miss?”

Queenie shrugs. “What use do I have for it?”

Tina opens her mouth to ask where in the world her baby sister got her hands on a hempo key but the man behind the counter yanks out an old flower pot and sets it down. He wriggles his wand with a soft, “ _Portus,”_ and the flower pot begins to glow with golden light. Jacob swallows back a cry of shock and Queenie grabs his hand again.

“Better hurry up, it’s not gonna last long.”

Queenie reaffirms her grip on Jacob’s hand and he reaches for Tina, who reaches for Newt. She tucks her wand back into her coat pocket and leans forward. “Shall we?”

Her fingers brush against the frame of the pot and suddenly, they are being swallowed up.

Jacob feels like his guts are being twisted inside and out. Someone’s yelling and he’s pretty sure it’s him. They continue to sail through the air, and he wonders if it’s ever going to stop.

And then it does.

-;

They land on a grassy hill.

Definitely not what Tina was expecting but hey, she’s not calling the shots here.

“Are we there?”

Poor Jacob’s on all fours, dry heaving. Queenie kneels beside him, hand on the small of his back. She flicks her wand, muttering a soothing spell that gets him back up, but his knees still knock together. He rests on Queenie’s supportive arm and looks around. “Are we in the middle of nowhere?”

Newt shakes his head. “No we’re not. Prague’s that way, just twenty five miles.” He waves his wand and a shining array of golden dust appears in the air. Tina’s eyes widen as he whispers a few words and cups his hands around the dust for a moment before blowing on it. “They’re still alive.”

“The griffins?” Tina asks.

“Yes.” Newt says something else to his wand that she does not catch and the golden dust forms several pictures that move and dance across the air. She sees people carting enormous carriers and hears the heartbreaking cry of a foal. Tears spring up behind her eyes and Tina knows they made the right decision. “There’s at least twenty five of them that have been captured.”

“You can see that?” Queenie asks.

Newt mumbles a confirmation. “I’ve only ever been able to release up to ten so this is good. We can do this.”

“Even me?” Jacob points to himself.

Newt smiles then. “Jacob, Queenie and Tina have taught you Exploding Snap, right?” Jacob nods, confusion knitting his brows together. “And you’re good at it?”

“Very good. He took half of my paycheck last week,” Tina scowls.

“I gave it back!”

“Well you have a little bit of time to brush up on your skills. You’re going to need them.”

“Wait, what --?” Jacob doesn’t have time to finish his sentence as Newt strides over between him and Tina and grabs their hands, the case clutched in Tina’s free hand, and they all Disapparate together.

-;

The hotel room is tiny.

“And I thought our apartment was small,” Queenie moans as she attempts to stretch out on the lone bed. “Mercy Lewis, this is _incorrigible.”_

Jacob snorts into his glass. Exploding Snap cards are spread out in front of him on the table. “Babe, you’ve been in tighter spots then this.” He waggles his eyebrows and Queenie giggles.

Tina gags and moves away from her sister. “Thanks, now I need to go and poke out my mind’s eye.”

“It’s no fun in your brain either, big sister!” Queenie calls after as she wrenches open Newt’s case and descends the staircase.

Tina scoffs, using her wand to close the case after her and drown out Queenie and Jacob’s shared laughter. She gets down to the bottom of the steps and looks around the messy shed, her nose crinkling when she glimpses a bucket of dried meat sitting on the small table. “Newt!”

_“Up here!”_

She follows the sound of his voice and wanders out, passing by the niffler enclosure only to have a tiny furry body to come flying out and land on top of her head. She cries out in surprise and wrenches the wriggling lump of fur from her hair and realizes he was searching for the golden pin she usually wears there. The pin that Newt had given her on his last visit. “Sorry little man. I left that at home.”

The niffler squawks and wiggles in her grip, waving his arms back for the enclosure which she sets him in. He _hmmphs_ in annoyance and turns his back to her and Tina fights back a laugh. “Not my fault!”

“What’s not your fault?”

Tina looks up and tries not to swallow her tongue. Newt stands on the edge of a far away enclosure, close enough that she can make out every hard line of muscle along his chest and stomach. Holy moly mercy Lewis why does he hide that under that bulky coat? “Uh the niffler was trying to find my hair clip and I left it in New York for safe keeping!”

“Oh!”

“What are you doing up there?”

“Getting the enclosure ready for the griffins. Come on up!”

She totters down the pathway leading to the enclosure, which to her surprise is mapped out by elevated grassy steps that lift her right up into the fenced in area. She comes to a stop beside Newt, just a little too close for comfort in her opinion. He was even better looking up close, for the sake of Deliverance Dane.

Newt pays her gawping no mind as he leads her around the enormous meadow. “I extended it out nearly a mile, gives them plenty of space to move about and be comfortable.” He points upward and she sees a magicked sky much like the one that Frank the Thunderbird had. “Once they are well, they’re gonna want to fly about so I just thought –“

“Newt, it’s incredible.”

Oh heavens, he’s a fully body blusher.

Tina tries to fight back one of her own at the thought and knows Queenie’s gonna torture her for the next two weeks when she gets a load of this in her mind. “It could be better. I have no idea how many we are going to be able to rescue so I might need to extend it out some more.”

“I’m sure the griffins will like this much more than where they are now,” Tina says softly, her stomach turning over at the memory of what they had seen in the golden dust this morning. She turns a smile at him. “You’re very good at what you do.” Oh gosh, he’s blushing again – why is he so _cute?_ It’s rather frustrating.

He then does something even more adorable and she’s about ready to lose it. He bows, like a perfect gentleman, with his face turned up at her with a grin. “Why thank you, Ms. Goldstein.”

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Scamander,” she returns with a faux curtsy. She throws her head back and laughs when Newt straightens. “I’m glad we’re doing this.”

He gives her wrist a light squeeze. “Me too.”

-;

“Put this on.”

“What’s this?”

“An Apparition bracelet.”

“A _what?”_

Tina exchanges a glance with Queenie as Newt gently twists the small metal band over Jacob’s fingers. “Where did you get something like that?”

“I made it. It’s an ordinary bracelet, actually,” Newt tells her and Tina fights back a gasp. “But with this –“ he points to a small flat buckle on the band. “When you touch it, it will make you Disapparate to wherever you choose. You have to think _hard_ when you do, or else you will end up on some random street corner.”

“And this,” Queenie offers and she waves her wand. At first, a small stream of warm blue light twists from the end of her wand, getting bigger and bigger until it wraps completely around Jacob’s form and seemingly disappears.

“No-Maj shield charm?” Tina asks and Queenie nods. “Nice.”

Jacob swallows but slaps on a brave face. “Okay. What’s next?”

“ _This.”_ Jacob squeaks in surprise as Tina raises her own wand and points it right at his face. He feels his mustache disappear and something’s tingling at the roots of his hair. When he glances in the side mirror on the wall, he sees his hair has gone from a curly raven black to an off white. His face feels quite naked without the mustache and what he didn’t notice before, a beard has now settled on his chin.

“Wow.”

“You okay, honey?” Queenie asks.

Jacob nods. “Can we go over the plan one more time?”

The griffin drop was tonight. A mouthy goblin in a bar on the corner had told them that, taking the last of Tina’s money with him when he spit out the last bit of information. The griffins were being brought to a warehouse on the corner of Prague where Newt, Tina, and Queenie would Apparate too and break in. Jacob would be a prospective customer at the warehouse and the distraction, hence the Exploding Snap. Once the griffins were free, Queenie would Apparate back to Jacob and grab him up and then they would be off.

They were all pretty sure none of this was going to go to plan.

Once Newt runs out of breath, Jacob slaps his hands together. “Okay let’s do this! Let’s go save some eagle-lions!”

Queenie laughs and kisses his cheek. “One step at a time, honey. There’s one last thing.” She reaches over and gently places both of her hands on each side of his head. “If you will let me, we can connect our minds so I can keep an ear out. Is that all right?”

Jacob almost gasps. “Yes, yes of course.”

She sucks in a deep breath through her nose, eyes falling closed as she concentrates. Jacob waits, wondering when he’s going to feel something, _anything,_ and then _–_ shit.

_Feeling all right there, honey?_

_Yes._

“Are we ready?” Everyone nods and Tina holds out both of her hands. Newt takes one and Queenie takes the other, her free hand linked tightly with Jacob’s. “One, two, _three.”_

With a twist, they push off the floor and disappear into the night.

-;

The warehouse looks like a haunted building from the silent pictures Jacob had seen with Mildred. He chuckles at the memory, feeling like that was a lifetime ago. And in truth, it was. His new life was something much different than he had ever expected.

And he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Because the warehouse was owned by Muggles, there wasn’t any protective spells on the front door. As Jacob walks up to the glass door, he shifts on his heel and looks out into the darkness. He sees a tiny drop of light and that’s Queenie’s signal. Time to go in.

He breathes in deep and raps on the door. A woman appears behind the glass, raising a questioning brow. Jacob holds up the phoney ID that Queenie had transfigured for him. “I’m Daniel Fogler! I have a meeting with Luke Heliotryn.”

The woman nods and opens the door, allowing him to slip inside. He’s led down a short darkened hallway to an office and the woman pulls out her wand to rap on the door. “Mr. Heliotryn, Mr. Fogler is here.”

A man with a mustache like a toothbrush answers the door. “Come on in, Mr. Fogler. Thank you Cleo.”

The woman leaves almost immediately and Jacob stops himself from shouting “ _Come back!”_ after her. He makes himself meet the eyes of one Mr. Heliotryn and tries not stare with jealousy at his mustache, fingering his own upper lip. “I believe we have an appointment?”

An appointment that Queenie had plopped right into the man’s head. He hoped.

The older man nods and summons a chair. Jacob sits down in it when Luke nods. “We might as well get right down to business, Mr. Fogler. How many animals do you need?”

Jacob breathes out a sigh of relief. It worked.

_It worked._

-;

Queenie groans, rubbing her temples. “He’s in. It worked.”

“How much time do you think we need to wait?”

“They are moving the griffins at midnight,” Newt says softly, glancing down at the watch he wears on his left wrist. “That’s what you heard, right?” he double checks with Queenie and she nods. “It’s nearly eleven fifteen now. We need just a few more minutes.”

They were standing along the front of the warehouse, hidden by Disillusion charms. Newt wondered if he could figure out how to do this with three other people. He always worked alone on these rescue attempts and well, having extra bodies to think about was going to be a bit difficult.

But Tina and Queenie were strong and could take care of themselves. Queenie was looking out for Jacob, their minds connected as well as their souls. They could handle it.

Newt tried to relax but he was as nervous as a cat, and judging by the amused smirk on Tina’s face, he wasn’t doing a good job at hiding it. He’s never been good at hiding his nerves in front of her. “Newt.” He turns to look at her and she’s smiling softly. “This is going to work.”

“I know that,” he hisses a little gruffer than he intends. “That doesn’t stop me from being worried. Especially _now –“_ he waves a haphazard hand in her and Queenie’s directions.

“He’s afraid that we’re gonna get hurt,” Queenie says, her eyes still trained on the building. “He’s used to working alone and being the lone wolf.” Newt scowls at the back of her blond head, feeling his face flush. Tina’s gazing at him more tenderly than normal and he’s feeling quite jumpy and – “We gotta go. They’re moving.” Oh thank _Merlin._

They Disapparate together.

-;

The sound of the magical trucks’ engines moving is the first thing Tina hears when they touch down behind the warehouse.

And then the cry of an injured griffin.

She glances at Newt, who immediately puffs up with anger. His hand twitches around his wand and she can see he’s ready to just charge in there hexing everyone.

“Easy,” she whispers as the first crate is brought out. She can see the ratted beak of one griffin sticking out through the bars and her stomach rolls over. “We have to wait.”

“I _know_ ,” he hisses.

“ _Get back in there!”_

Tina’s hackles raise as she watches a young griffin, who couldn’t be more than a few months old, being forced back into a crate that he had somehow escaped from. The griffin cries out, panic in his large blue eyes as he’s shoved gruffly back and the door of the crate magically locked.

There’s a team of about eight wizards working right now and from what Queenie can hear, about four more inside and a few in the office building.

_He’s got eleven griffins, Queen._

Queenie nods at nothing in particular, counting as the last crate is brought out.

 _You good?_ She thinks at Jacob.

_Yeah. He’s kicking me where it hurts in Exploding Snap._

Queenie smiles, watching as Newt begins to prepare himself. Her grip on her wand tightens, the stunning spell already rising to her lips. And then, and _then..._

_“STUPEFY!”_

The three wizards in front of them dropped like stones. Another two charged at the unexpected company, one falling back when Queenie’s jet of light hit him right in the stomach. He screeched as his face began to twist violently and then large green bats flew out of his nose and began to attack his face.

“ _Incarcerous!”_ Tina shouts and the other is thrown backwards into the wall, white ropes twisting around him from head to toe.

Newt dashes forward and begins springing locks on the crates, using his wand to levitate the griffins into his case. He gets one, two, _three –_

A harsh beam of red light hits the griffin he is just about to levitate and the poor thing drops in a heap of feathers. A snarl rips through Newt and he turns around, wand raised as he shouts a curse which has never left his lips and the other wizard drops his wand, grabbing at his throat as he struggles to _breathe_ and –

“Newt!”

Another shot of light hits the wizard and he falls to the ground, unconscious. Tina’s staring at him in shock for a moment, distracted as another wizard shoots forward, only to stop right in his tracks and hand her his wand. Tina gapes until she sees Queenie a few paces behind, her eyes shut as she concentrates.

“Mister,” Tina greets the wizard before decking him across the jaw and letting the ropes shoot out of her wand to encase him.

“They’re all in! Queenie, get Jacob!”

Queenie disappears.

-;

_On the way._

Jacob looks down at the last card in his hand and smiles. Heliotryn stares at him, confused as Jacob flicks the card at his face and it explodes, promptly lighting his stupid mustache on fire. “Now, if you’re excuse me –“ Queenie appears at his right elbow, jabbing her wand at Heliotryn, who suddenly looks quite glassy eyed. Jacob then feels the now familiar jerk behind his navel before being pulled away.

They land in an unceremonious heap on that same grassy hillside, which is now covered in little yellow flowers. “Ooh, how pretty.” Queenie plucks one up and tucks it behind her ear. A second later, they are joined by Newt with his case. “Where’s Tina?”

He taps the case and pops it open. “In here. Get in.”

“How many did we save?” Jacob asks as he heads down the steps inside.

A shadow crosses Newt’s face and suddenly Jacob doesn’t want to know the answer. “Seven.”

Jacob turns to Queenie to question that but then the case closes and they jump into the shed. They both startle a bit as they feel Newt Disapparating, and toddle ahead to the enclosure where Tina waits.

.

.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Live beyond ‘what if’. Find joy in ‘what is’.”_

_._

_._

Queenie follows Jacob up the small hill to the enclosure, both of them startling when the grass covered steps lift them right up to the fence. Tina’s leaning against the fence, her fingers gently stroking the feathers of the young griffin, who gratefully leans into her touch. “How are they doing?”

Tina shrugs. “They’re freaked out but seem to be all right with roaming around.” Jacob can see the other griffins gathered a good distance away, bunching up together next to a few of the faux trees that Newt had placed there. “Only this little guy has come close. We, uh, we lost his mom back there.”

Jacob swallows hard. “Sorry.”

Queenie nods, pushing down the memory of the poor thing falling a heap of feathers. “Is Newt okay? He reacted badly to that.”

“I don’t think he ever reacts _well_ to the death of an innocent creature.” Tina’s face twists. “By the way, you never told me where you got your hands on a hempo key.”

Queenie balks and steps away, nearly stomping on Jacob’s foot in the process. “Nothing!”

“ _Queenie!”_

“Okay fine! I got the hempo key off of Abernathy at work. He was trying to talk me into, well, you _know –“_ She almost laughs when she sees Tina grip her wand. “...he was trying to woo me with it and well, I just _took_ it and went on my merry way.”

“Is that why you got transferred up onto my floor?” Tina asks.

Queenie nods. One week before this whole thing began, Tina had flung open her office door to her sister’s goofily grinning face, telling her she had been promoted to her official secretary. Tina sensed it was a load of malarky but hence not being the mind reader, she couldn’t get the truth out of her sister.

Jacob interrupts then. “I’m sorry, _what_ is a hempo key?”

“It’s a very valuable wizarding item that is made out of the threads of a hempo worm. Kind of like how silk comes from a silkworm?” Jacob nods. “There’s only four left in the world and how Abernathy got his hands on one, I do not know. But they are worth probably millions.”

Jacob lets out a low whistle. “What does it do?”

“Lets you into any place, anywhere at anything. It can override anti Apparition charms, it can jump you through protective shields,” Tina explains.

“I can see why it’s worth a bundle.” Jacob rubs a soothing hand over Queenie’s elbow. “I wish you had told me about that guy.”

“Honey, don’t worry. He’s taken care of,” Queenie assures him. Tina raises her eyebrows and she grins. “Bat Bogey Hex. One of my favorites!”

“Oh Jacob!” Jacob turns to see Tina’s wand right at the end of his nose. He doesn’t have time to yell out when he feels his mustache beginning to pop right back out of the pores on his face and that same tingling settles down in the roots of his hair. Tina replaces her wand back in her belt loop with a satisfied smile. “There. All better.”

Jacob runs a hand over his chin and finds his beard gone, mustache firmly back on his lip. “Th-thanks, I guess.” He leans back against the fence as the young griffin trots over and bumps his elbow with his beak. “So what happened? How’d it all go?” He chuckles as the griffin bumps him more insistently and gently strokes his feathers.

“We got seven out of eleven. Before we left, the traffickers were all obliviated and we repaired the damage,” Tina sighs, resting her chin on her hand. “This little one’s mama –“ she shudders and Jacob finds he doesn’t want to know anymore.

“We’re off to Greece next?” Queenie asks.

“Yeah, I think so.”

The baby griffin bumps Jacob again and he laughs. “You’re quite the little buddy, aren’t you?” The griffin makes a clucking sound with his beak. “I think he likes it. Buddy. Wanna be called Buddy?” The griffin clicks his beak again and makes what Jacob perceives as an adorable _chirp._

“We shouldn’t name them – I mean, we’re not keeping them in the case,” Tina’s shaking her head but an affectionate smile rests on her face. She looks out to the other griffins, and two have started to come a little closer, watching the humans with interest. “Newt said not to get into the enclosure until he got here.”

“Where are we, anyway?”

“Not sure. Newt said he was going to Apparate somewhere safe and get a hotel room so we wouldn’t all have to sleep in the case.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Jacob shrugs and Queenie mirrors the sentiment. She was never one for getting dirty but she liked being in here. It was like a brand new world.

Newt appears then like he had been summoned by the mention of his name. Tina watches as he jogs over to them, the grassy stairs lifting him up and depositing him right at her feet. “Hey.”

He smiles warmly, returning the word. “Hey.”

“Where we at, chief?” Jacob asks.

“Vienna.” Tina gasps, her eyes lighting up with wonder. “Not the nice part. We’re in a cheap motel room right now, it’s kind of dingy but it’s safe so we have time to take care of these guys.” He nods at the griffins, eyebrows raising at Buddy, who is trotting back over to Tina. “Well we have a friendly one here.”

Newt slides of his coat and hangs it over the side of the fence. “Yeah his name is Buddy. At least, that’s what Jacob is calling him.”

He nods approvingly at Jacob, who tries not to beam in delight. “Let’s get to work. Queenie, could you go back to the...”

They’re off to work. Newt gets into the enclosure first and it’s Buddy that lets him get near. The other griffins watch apprehensively as he examines the small creature, Buddy almost purring when he rubs his fingers underneath his beak. “You like that?” Newt chuckles and Buddy squeaks happily.

Newt feels a nudge at his elbow and looks up to see another griffin standing there. Her beak is ragged and he sees the slices of skin through her feathers. “Hey Tina?”

“Yeah?”

“Come over here please.”

Tina leaves Jacob carrying the bags of dead rats and walks over to where he is, making sure to go the long way around so she remains in the griffins’ line of sight. “What’s going on?”

“Can you keep Buddy away for a moment? He’s pretty intent on _helping.”_ He nods at the other griffin and Tina understands. She clicks her tongue at Buddy and that’s distraction enough. He reminds her of a large feathery golden retriever.

So does Newt but that’s another story.

She watches Newt over the slope of Buddy’s back as he examines the female griffin. His fingers are tantalizing gentle as they slide over her hindquarters first, finding the first wound. “She’s been hit with stunning spells,” Newt says softly.

Tina’s stomach rolls and she attempts to keep what food she has in her stomach down.

“And this,” he points to another mark on the griffin’s upper thigh. “They bound her.”

“Okay, _Newt –“_ He lifts his eyes to look at her and Tina shakes his head. “Please don’t.” She’s about to go back to Prague right now and use a few Unforgivables on those traffickers.

Newt nods in understanding and stays quiet as he continues his examination. Jacob brings in the bucket of dead rats and he tosses her one once he is finished. “She’s not in much pain but her wounds do need to be healed. I want her distracted by eating while I do it.”

Newt makes Jacob get out of the enclosure and has Queenie stand near, ready to cast a Shield charm between Newt and the griffin in case she attacks. He murmurs something only the griffin can understand, his hands gentle and soft on her feathers as he lifts his wand and touches it just so to the open wound on her thigh.

The griffin squawks in surprise as the wound begins to close, shifting so she could stare at her own rear end. Queenie flinches, raising her wand but Newt waves her away. “It’s okay.”

He continues on, until all the wounds are healed and replaced by faded lines that will soon be covered up again in golden fur and feathers. The griffin jumps up, flapping her long beautiful wings and keening out a happy cry because for the first time in ages, she is without pain.

That’s enough to get another two griffins to ease forward. The first darts to where Jacob stands with the dead rats and he tosses her another one that she cheerfully gobbles down before giving his fingers a gentle nip with her beak.

They continue on like that until all the griffins are healed and the rest of the creatures are cared for. Tina’s about ready to drop when she stumbles away from the graphorn enclosure and collapses with an exhausted sigh on the bench inside the shed. “What time is i-it?” she yawns.

“Nearly four in the morning,” Jacob replies, looking down at his watch. “Man I could sleep for a week.”

“Me too.” Queenie leans against his arm, head dropped on his shoulder. Her blond curls are getting longer, Tina notes. “We should head up. Are you two gonna stay down here?” She directs this at Tina and a just arriving Newt.

“Oh! Uh –“

“Perfect! Good night!”

Jacob doesn’t have time to protest as Queenie half drags him up the ladder and into their hotel room, slamming the case shut after them.

Tina turned wide eyes on Newt. “What the hell was that – _oh.”_ She was gonna _kill_ Queenie later.

-;

Newt sends off an owl to the Greek Minister of Magic that morning, requesting permission to enter Greece with the griffins. Tina goes out to the exchange office and changes Jacob’s muggle money into wizard script, paying off another two nights in the hotel room. “It should take him about that long to owl back,” Newt explains. “Especially if he sends an answer right away.”

“What if he says no?”

Newt doesn’t have a reply for that.

Buddy the Griffin becomes more energetic as Newt’s healing spells help him build strength again. The other griffins take a little longer and despite Tina and Newt’s warnings, all six adults have names by the end of the first day.

The female griffin, which Queenie had dubbed ‘Rosie’, starts to fly short distances. She senses that the sky above is not real and doesn’t allow herself to go too high, but it’s enough to keep her happy.

Newt explains that griffins heal moderately quickly when their wounds are not severe and because of the price that was on these animals’ heads, the traffickers couldn’t hit them too hard with their spells. The eldest griffin, an older fellow that Tina starts calling ‘Dave’, takes the longest to heal and to fly again. He had allowed Newt to treat his wounds but had since then stayed far away in the enclosure. His meals of dead rats and ferrets had to be tossed to him and he wouldn’t come and get them until the others had all left him alone.

“I’m worried about him,” Newt nods at Dave. “I’m hoping once we get to Greece, he’ll perk up.”

“He doesn’t seem to be hurt?”

Newt heaves a sigh. “I actually think it’s the trauma from being captured and then sort of recaptured by us. My guess is he, when he was free, he was the leader of their family and now he’s not.” He bows his head, the tips of his ears flushing red. “You probably think that’s silly.”

Tina touches his elbow. “I don’t. That’s perfectly reasonable.”

Newt gives her a goofy smile and Tina hears Queenie chuckling from the shed.

_Shut it or I will charm your hair green._

_You_ wouldn’t.

_I would._

_-;_

The minister of Greece owls back immediately.

“He said yes!” Newt almost rips the letter in half in delight. Tina gently peels it away from him. “Oh, sorry.”

Tina looks down at the letter, a smile creasing her lips. “The minister said he is going to have a portkey waiting for us at the St. Stephan’s Cathedral tomorrow night at midnight. He’s already got the sanctuary ready.”

“That’s wonderful!” Queenie beams at Jacob before glancing over at Rosie and Dave. They are pecking at some dead rats that Tina had left in there a little while ago, Dave poking his with his beak like it was about to spring alive again. “I’m sure they will all be so much better when they are settled.”

Newt sighs out a breath of relief as he turns to smile at the griffins. Buddy suddenly trots up and bumps his arm and he chuckles, running his fingers over his feathers. “You’re going home soon.”

The young griffin made a small cawing sound of disagreement, butting his shoulder again with his beak. “I don’t think Buddy likes the idea too much.”

“He’s gotten quite attached to you and Teenie,” Queenie offers. Tina rolls her eyes. “No really. He seems to think you’re his Mum and Dad.”

“Can you read animal’s minds too?” Jacob asks.

“I don’t have too.” She waves at the griffin, who is now yanking on Newt’s sleeve with his beak. “Just look at him!”

Tina and Newt exchange a glance before they all have to rescue the zoologist who is now positively _wrestling_ with the griffin, gently tugging him away from the enclosure. “Well it is possible for animals like that to form attachments to human caretakers. And we lost his mum back there so –“ Newt’s voice trails off, brow furrowed in thought before he shrugs.

“I don’t think it’s _possible,”_ Jacob chuckles as Buddy makes a loud noise of dissent. “He’s mad for you two.”

The griffin shrieks again and keeps going until Tina trots back over to the fence. As soon as he stops hollering, Tina looks back over her shoulder, face twisted in worry. “Uh-oh.”

-;

Queenie and Jacob leave for a few hours that afternoon to walk around Vienna.

Jacob offers her his arm as they step out of the case. “Milady.”

Queenie grins as she takes it. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

“So, where too?”

“We should first check out the cathedral. And then how about lunch on the town?”

“Sounds perfect.”

And it is.

The cathedral is stunning but oh so eerie. Jacob shivers at the sight of it, but half marvels at the colors. “Why do we have to go in there in the middle of the night?”

“Easier to move under the cloak of darkness,” Queenie tells him bluntly. She pats his hand. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll protect you.”

Jacob laughs under his breath and lifts her fingers up to press a kiss to them. “Yes you will.”

They lunch at a Muggle sidewalk café, splitting an enormous sandwich and a basket of french fries with the most unusual tasting wine Jacob has ever had. Queenie sips hers delicately, wrinkling her nose once or twice. “Don’t like it?”

Queenie smacks her lips. “It’s not something I think I will have seconds of.” She sets her glass down on the table and turns to watch the people as they walk by. Her mind picks up bits and pieces of the thoughts of the people as they go but she’s gotten better in recent months blocking some of it out. She does like to eavesdrop on her sister whenever she’s around Newt. What runs through Tina’s mind whenever she’s within arm’s length of the magiczoologist is almost too good to pass up.

“Look at them.” Jacob’s voice pulls her from her own thoughts and she follows his gaze. He’s smiling gently at a couple that are standing a few paces away, bickering quietly over something that Queenie cannot quite make out without jumping into their heads. “Who do they remind you of?”

Queenie laughs as she hears Jacob’s teasing thought. The woman tugs on the man’s arm, looking quite like she’d rather enjoy smacking him over the head. The man is hitching on the soft ‘ _oh shucks’_ expression but it’s not working on his companion this time.

“She’s tired of him going off on his job, risking his life all the time. He’s tired of her always being so worried, and her fear is worse than not being a part of his job anymore.”

Jacob holds a hand to his heart. “ _Awwww.”_

“So you’re right on the money, honey.” Queenie shifts in her seat, taking another sip of her wine. “They’re our Newt and our Tina.”

-;

They arrive in Greece on an early Sunday morning.

The portkey in the gardens of St. Stephan’s, a mere discarded shoe, had swept them away on a flutter of wings, to where they all landed in a very undignified heap in the middle of the Greek Ministry mere seconds later.

“We’ve gotta try to stick this landing,” Tina grumbles as she struggles to her feet, helping pull the case off of poor Newt’s midsection. Her voice dies in her throat as her eyes take in what surrounds them.

The walls of the Ministry are formed into a triangle, shredded with gold and silver. Wizards and witches ease by, wearing flowing robes of deep midnight black and heavenly emerald, none taking any mind of the four people that had just plopped out of nowhere in the middle of the busy floor.

Lifts fly about them, one going right past where they stand and nearly taking off Jacob’s left hand in the process. A child waves at them from one and Queenie waves back, hearing a delighted “ _μαμά_!” as they whizz on by.

“Mercy Lewis,” Tina breathes.

Pickett finally pops from Newt’s pocket and casts one alarmed eyeball around before diving back inside with a loud shriek. Newt pats his pocket soothingly. “Don’t worry, Pickett. This shouldn’t take long.”

“Mr. Scamanader!”

A jolly looking wizard with raven black hair the color of his robes walks towards them, a curly snowy mustache settled on his top lip. Newt manages a weak wave as the obvious Minister trots over and grabs his arm, shaking it rather gruffly. “So very nice to meet you! So very nice!”

“Er, you too?” Jacob hides a smile at the alarmed expression on his friend’s face. “Sir, this is Tina Goldstein and her sister Queenie. And that is our friend Jacob Kowalski.”

Both Tina and Queenie squeak in surprise as the Minister steps forward and plants loud kisses on their cheeks before turning to Jacob. “I’m not kissing you, sir.”

The Minister laughs out loud and grabs Jacob up anyway, giving him a kiss on each cheek. “Ah! You’re a Muggle!”

Jacob winced. “Er – no?”

The Minister snorts in delight. “How wonderful! Wonderful that you have such a good relationship with him!”

Queenie stares in shock. “You’re a Legilimens?”

“Aye,” The Minister crows. He pats her hand. “And you are too!”

Before any of them can make another sound, he grabs the hands of Queenie and Jacob, Queenie barely having time to latch back onto Tina and Newt, and turns on the spot, carrying them all away together.

Jacob cannot see anything when the four of them land in another pile of arms and legs seconds later. “Where are we? Are we dead?”

“ _No,_ we’re not dead,” Tina frowns as Newt helps her get to her feet this time. “We’re –“ Her voice catches on another gasp.

The Minister is giggling happily. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

They stand in an enormous fenced in area, the fencing only visible to the wizard’s eye. Gigantic trees are spread out across the grassy meadow, far enough away from each other so they can still see the sky, which is dotted with the beating wings of griffins. All sorts of griffins, each as different as the colors of the rainbow.

Several begin to fly down at the sight of the Minister, landing with soft thuds and loud screams of delight. Queenie steps back, nearly stomping on Jacob’s foot as she reaches for his hand. Tina can hear Newt breathing in her ear and when she chances a peek at his face, she cannot quite read it.

“How are my little babies?!” The minister coos at the headbutting griffins like they are kittens, rubbing at their feathery faces and scratching a few furry behinds, causing them to purr in happiness. “We have the best animal healers on our staff. At least ten zoologists as well. But we could always use another,” he adds with a wiggle of a bushy eyebrow at Newt.

Tina gasps. “ _Newt –“_ It’s everything he ever wanted but –

But he’d have to move here. To Greece. Even farther away from her.

Tina pushes the thought away and watches Newt as he lets his case fall to the ground beside her and steps forward to where the Minister waits. The griffins seem to recognize him as the kind soul he is and start butting their heads and clicking their beaks in greeting. Newt reaches forward a palm, letting the Minister guide him as one griffin leans forward and lets their beak rest against the warmth of his hand.

Surprised tears spring to Tina’s eyes that she blinks away. The Minister smiles at her over Newt’s shoulder and she’s tempted to look away like a small child avoiding their parent’s gaze.

Light dances around them, beautiful and golden rays of sun shining down and warming their skin. Tina leans lightly on Jacob’s shoulder, Queenie taking the other as they watch, the griffins dancing their joy in the air above and below, surrounding Newt with their magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Newt the Griffin Whisperer? 
> 
> Please leave me your thoughts!

**Author's Note:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Omg I had a blast with this and there is definitely more to come if I get enough feedback. I hope you all liked this and do please leave feedback because I really want to write more. 
> 
> ps. Hempo key is made up and I shall explain it next chapter.


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